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The month of May brought a change to more moist and changeable weather.

However it is still not warm and Tuesday 4th May even sent wintery showers that covered the tops with snow.

[ This week the Lake District Ski Club could offer skiing on Helvellyn in May which is most unusual.]

This was the view as seen from Loweswater before darkness fell.

However, tomorrow forecasts good sunshine which will be nice for another planned walk with my ex-colleague Jane.

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Jane and myself . . . I'm the one sporting a post-lockdown haircut.

Photo courtesy of that little 10 second button on the camera that you can never really remember how to work !

We're heading out on a walk around Crummock Water, starting from home and travelling anti-clockwise round the lake.

We're travelling light, hoping to "eat out" at one of the Buttermere cafes half way through the day.

Here we are looking back at Mellbreak Cottage and High Park soon after the start of the walk.

Across the valley the views to Low Fell are beautifully clear.

For a flat walk we managed to clock up 900 feet of climbing, starting with this elevated view of Crummock and Rannerdale.

At the head of the lake, the high fells still retain a reasonable covering of yesterday's snow.

Sandy Yatt - the pebble beach as we first reach the lake.

We didn't, but the dogs wetted their feet to christen the start of the walk . . . or was it to chase a stick (can't remember).

The view ahead as we approach Low Ling Crag.

The snow we've seen on High Stile and Great Gable is duplicated on Grasmoor and Ill Crag.

Low Ling Crag is joined to the shore by a gravel beach.

In the distance is the sunlit ridge climbing to Fleetwith Pike and the snow covered high moorland of Brandreth.

Good snow cover on the summits, all of it shining in today's bright sunlight.

Although not an official right of way, the path nevertheless sports a fine footbridge to carry us over Scale Beck.

Spring catkins on the tree next to the river.

Fresh new leaves on this Hawthorn as we walk on towards Buttermere.

Low fell is a pleasing distance away which means Buttermere can't be far off now.

An old sheepfold at the head of the lake hints at a time of more grass and less bracken.

Buttermere Dubbs, that section of the river between Scale Bridge and the one adjacent to Sour Milk Gill.

We pass on the first river crossing in favour of the short extra walk up to the upper bridge.

There are three bridges here, one over the river and two across Sour Milk Gill.

This is the classic photographer's view from the smallest bridge, up the lake towards Fleetwith Pike.

Fleetwith Edge can be seen dropping steadily down to Gatesgarth at the head of Buttermere.

50 things to do before you reach the village . . . walk the plank !

The Fish Hotel, now called the Buttermere Court, is offering car parking adjacent to the hotel . . . please pay at their machine.

All change in the village, a new name for one hotel and it looks like a new colour scheme for the other.

Scaffolding surrounds the Bridge Hotel where the workmen are trying to get the upgrade done before they re-open at the end of lock-down.

Jane and I opt for lunch at Sykes Farm Cafe . . . other cafes are available as they say.

A delightful filled baguette and a bowl of hot soup makes for a fine lunch, outside of course.

The dogs are treated to . . . but just a normal snack lunch of dog biscuits from my rucksack.

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Suitably refreshed we turn for home leg down the other side of the lake.

However there are still several hours left on the clock before we get there.

Buttermere Church with its wrought iron shepherds gate at the entrance to keep the sheep out.

The sun gleams on the old school, now the Village Hall.

The front of the Bridge Hotel looks as inviting and traditional as ever.

The view of Croft Farm with snow on the High Stile Ridge makes it look almost Alpine.

Nicholas Size owner of the Victoria, what is now The Bridge Hotel in the 1930's, proposed a ski lift to the summit of High Crag to encourage tourism.

Seeing Buttermere on a busy day nowadays, encouraging more tourists is hardly necessary.

Crag Farm with that snow on the high fells again.

We crossed, then followed Mill Beck back down to the lake shore.

A quick look back at the high fells as seen across the Buttermere fields.

Jane contemplating the gentle lapping waves of the ocean ahead of us.

Mellbreak and the western side of Crummock that we walked along this morning.

The Wood House Jetty has a boat moored up today . . . the first time I've seen one in the water here.

It is usually laid up on the grass in the adjacent field.

Through the woods on the small headland beyond the boat landing

and our route now passes the Woodhouse Islands a small distance out into the lake.

The second minor climb of the day takes us up the old road over Rannerdale Hause.

It is now a green track as it has been superceded by the current tarmac road that is cut into the rock crags below the hause.

Looking down on Rannerdale Farm

and along the remainder of Crummock to Low Fell and Loweswater at the far end.

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I checked out the Rannerdale Bluebells last week

and reckoned that they were two or three weeks away from their best, depending on what the weather would bring.

Well we've had some rain and some warmer sunshine, so Jane and I detour from the main road in order to visit Rannerdale Valley.

There's a bit of colour on the fields ahead . . . but not a lot !

The National Trust have re-erected the fences again this year to avoid the blooms being trampled.

The path takes us past the large Crab Apple tree.  The area to the right here is always the last to burst into flower.

Whiteless Pike stands out as a real pyramid from this part of the valley.

Looking across to the first-to-show bluebells on the south facing slopes, across the other side of Rannerdale Beck.

The flowers have grown compared to last week . . . they were probably thirsty after the dry April !